Four-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic has a fifth in sight after moving into the semi-finals with a clinical victory over Milos Raonic.

The world No 1 outclassed the Canadian eighth seed on Rod Laver Arena 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-2 on Wednesday night.

The win sets up a dream rematch with defending champion Stan Wawrinka, the Swiss who took him out in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park last year.

Wawrinka earlier accounted for Japanese star Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-4 7-6 (8-6).

Djokovic withstood Raonic’s barrage of blistering serves - reaching up to 229km/h  hour - as he turned defence into offence with an imposing all-court display.

Djokovic’s own serve was his biggest weapon - winning a stunning 89 per cent of points on his first serve to go through the match without losing his service game.

The Serb hasn’t dropped a set through the tournament and only lost one service game, meaning he will hit the final four high on confidence.

Djokovic led 6-3 in the first-set tiebreak, wrapping it up after Raonic fired a wild forehand.

The top seed then made an immediate statement in the second set, breaking his opponent, who was bidding to become the first Canadian man to reach the Australian Open semi-finals, in the first game.

It was effectively game over from there.

Djokovic was more than satisfied with his game.

‘‘It was a great performance,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve got no complaints.

‘‘I returned very well and I served very well so overall just a great match.’’

Meanwhile, Wawrinka says he has more confidence than ever after taking a giant step towards defending his Australian Open crown.

Wawrinka was at his swashbuckling best against Nishikori, reaching the last four in two hours and four minutes on Wednesday.

Wawrinka has now made the semi-finals at the same major twice for the first time in his career, and said there was one big difference to his preparations 12 months prior.

‘‘Now I have a grand slam (trophy) at home, I have the confidence from that,’’ he said.

‘‘I know I can make it, I trust my game, I trust myself on the court even when we start to play semi-finals or finals in a grand slam.

‘‘I think we all improve every year.

‘‘Today [I was at] a great level, it was a great match.’’

Against Nishikori, Wawrinka’s serve was a particular strength, upping his speed from previous rounds and winning 86 per cent of first-serve points and clinching the match with his 20th ace.

The score would have been even more emphatic if Wawrinka had taken more of his opportunities to break - converting just three of 11 chances.

By contrast, Nishikori failed to earn a single break point until the final game of the second set.

The win earned Wawrinka a measure of revenge for his five-set loss to Nishikori in last year’s US Open quarter-finals and extended his 2015 winning streak to nine after he won the Chennai lead-up event. - AAP